Massive security presence at Messi match venue in Kolkata

The sprawling Salt Lake stadium swarmed with police personnel and private agency people on Friday as security was at an all-time high at the venue hosting India's first ever FIFA international friendly between Lionel Messi-led Argentina and Venezuela.Spectators underwent multi-layer security checking but the police personnel were polite and smiling.Plainclothes policemen and intelligence sleuths were on high alert, besides a higher number of women police constables and officers were present than on earlier occasions. The playing arena was enveloped in a three-layer security ring comprising 5,000 armed police personnel. A contingent of over 2,000 combat police and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel has been entrusted the task of crowd management, said a police officer.The team buses and the players were escorted into the stadium from their respective hotels by special commando units. The personal security to the players was provided by a team of 250 commandos specially picked for the purpose.Dog-squads, anti-sabotage teams and communication experts kept a tight vigil across the stadium area. The spectators had to go through metal detectors and pat-down checking before they entered the venue. State-of-the-art metal detectors were put up at the entrance and exits.CCTV cameras and other modern gadgets were installed in and around the stadium.